Golf-club.



W. L. RIGHTER.

GOLF CLUB.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19. 1914.

Patented May 25, 1915.

WITNESSES 4%;

- lowing description,

WALTERL. FIGHTER, 0F ELAINFIELD, NEW J'ERfiEY.

GOLF-CLUB.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1911.5.

Application filed. ()ctober 19, 1914. Serial No. 867,306.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER L. Rren'rnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Plainfield, county of Union, State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Golf-Clubs, of which the folin connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

The present invention relates to improvements in golf clubs and has to do particularly with the style of'club known as a putter.

The invention consists in the provision of certain novel means in connection with a putter, whereby the club may be held in a position such as will enable the golfer to play his ball with a high degree of accuracy.

In the accompanying drawings, several embodiments of this invention are illustrated, and therein Figure 1 is a plan view of a putter constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective of the head of the club; Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the preferable position in which the club is held,

this and the succeeding figures'being on a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line M of Fig. 3; Figs;

5, 7 and 9 are details showing modifications of the invention; and Figs. 6, 8 and 10 are corresponding cross sections.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the putter mayv be loosely held in the hands of the player 'so that it maybe swung over the ball like a pendulum. The direction which the player is thus enabled to give the ball will prove extremely accurate because of this free-swinging, pendulum-like motion of the club and the force of the blow can be easily gaged by the are through which the player allows the club to swing before hitting the ball. To enable the putter to be held in such a position, certain novel means are provided. herein shown as a pivot located at a suitable point upon the shaft or upon the handle of the club and adapted to be graspedby the crooked fingers of the player in the manner suggested by Fig. 3 of the drawings. The bearing for the pivot is formed bythe fingers of one hand, and the other hand is preferably placed in a corresponding position just below the first hand to make the hold uponthe club more-steady.

Tn carrying out my invention, ll preferably employ a putting iron of the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, although an ordinary-putting iron set at right angles to the shaft may be used. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a putting iron 1 is centrally bored to receive the end of a shaft 2. The

shaft 2 is set into the head at right angles thereto, thus bringing the center of gravity of the head in -a direct line with the shaft or, in other words, making the entire club symmetrical with respect to an axis drawn longitudinally through the shaft. p

The fact that the club may be held vertically when striking the ball, and the fact that the weight of the head is distributed evenly about the shaft, add greatly to theease with which a true direction may be given to the ball. With this form of club there is no tendency for it to twist in the hands of the player as the ball is struck. Preferably the putting iron is made with one face smooth and the other roughened by engraved lines, pebbling, or-the like in order that the player may strike his ball pith a smooth or rough surface as he preers.

Referring to Fig. l the shaft 2 and a handle 3 are shown as being separated by a shank portion 4, which is provided with sockets at both ends to receive the lower end of the handle and the upper end of the shaft. The shank 4 is flattened at the center and a pin 5 to form a pivot to be engaged by the-fingers of the player is passed through and fastened in the shank at right where the most perfect balance may be secured.

, two

Figs. 5 to 10 illustrate several modified embodiments of the pivotal bearing upon the shaft of the club. In Figs. 5 and 6 the shank 4: is used as in the previously described forms, but the pivot pin 5 is made unnecessary by reason of projections 6 which are formed by abruptly reducing the shank to a thin web at 7 thus making notches to be grasped by the fingers of the player instead of the bar 5. As in the previously described form the line of the projections 6 are parallel to the face ofthe putting iron. These other form, in that the wooden shaft of an ordinary club may be cut away to leave a thin web of wood at 7 and to form the projections 6 from the wood of the shaft. Figs. 7 to 10 illustrate two forms-wherein the shank portion 4 is made unnecessary. In Figs. 7 and 8 the pivotal bearing is formed by inserting a-bar 8 directly through the shaft of the club just below the handle. This is not the mostpreferable form for the reason that the fingers grasping the bar 8 must be separated by the thickness of the shaft and the accuracy of the swinging I movement is lessened. Figs. 9 and 10 show a construction which,.'though open to the same objections as the preceding form, is admirably adapted for quick application to the ordinary putter without materially altering the club. This form consists of a collar 9 of sheet metal with lugs 10 formed integral therewith. The collar is split and adapted to be clamped around the shaft of the club by suitable means herein shown as a bolt and nut 11. I

It is contemplated that the present invention may be embodied in other forms than thoseabove described for the principal conception constituting this invention is the provision of a golf club which may be held loosely to swing vertically in the hands of theplayer.

I claim as my invention:

1. A golf club having a striking head provided with a substantially fiat lower face and a shaft to which the head is secured,

said shaft having means for supporting it freely from and between two fingersof a player, and the axis of said shaft passing through the center of gravity of said head and being substantially perpendicular to said lower face.

2. In a golf club, the combination of a striking head provided with a substantially flat lower face, a shaft to which the head is secured, the axis of said shaft passing through the center of gravity of said head and being substantially perpendicular to said lower face, and means for supporting the club freely from and between two fingers of a player.

3. In a golf club, the combination of a figures may serve to illustrate still anstriking head provided with a substantially flat lower face, a shaft to which the head is secured, the axis of said shaft passing through the center of gravity of said head and being substantially perpendicular to said lower face, and means extending transversely of the shaft to be engaged by and between the crooked fingers of a'player, whereby the club may be swung freely with pendulum-like motion in a vertical plane about the said means as a pivot.

4. A golf club having a striking head and a shaft to which the head is secured, said shaft having means for supporting it freely in a substantially vertical position from and between two fingers of a player.

5. A golf club having means extending the said means as a pivot. v 6. A golf club having a striking head and a shaft to which the head issecured, the

shaft having means thereupon at right angles thereto and parallel to the striking face of the head, the said means being adapted to be engaged by the crooked fingers of the player whereby the club may beswung freely in a vertical plane about the said means as a pivot.

7. A golf club having a reduced portion adjacent its handle and means extending transversely of said reduced portion to form a pivotal bearing adapted to be engaged by and between the crooked fingers of a player, whereby the club may be held loosely to swing in a vertical plane about the transverse means as a pivot.

8. A golf club having a reduced portion adjacent its handle and a bar extending transversely through said reduced portion 'meansupon the shaft at a point abovethe center thereof to be engagedby and between the crooked fingers of a player, whereby the club may be swung freely in a plane at right angles to the striking face of the iron about the means upon the shaft as a pivot.

10; In a golf club, the combination of a putting iron, a shaft attached thereto, a handle, and a shank portion socketed at each end to receive the upper end of the shaft and the lower end of the handle, the said shank portion being centrally reduced to a thin web and having a pin extending transversely therethrough to form a hearing at right angles to the shaft and parallel nm see 3 with the striking face of the putting iron to two subscribing witnesses, this thirteenth be engaged by and between the crooked day of October, 1914.

fingers of a player, whereby the club may VALTER L RIGHTER be swung freely in a vertical plane about the 5 said transversely extending pin as a pivot. Witnesses:

In testimony whereof, I have signed my ADELAIDE SOHOEN,

name to this specification, in the presence of MANVEL WHITTEMORE. 

